The present invention is directed toward a method for determining the presence of a magnetically susceptible or magnetic substance in a sample of a material and, more particularly, toward a method for determining the presence of asbestos in a sample material.
Although previously widely used as in insulation and in various other building materials, it is now known that asbestos, particularly in dust form, can cause various serious diseases such as lung cancer. While asbestos is no longer used, older buildings may contain significant quantities of asbestos in various materials from which the building may have been constructed. This normally does not create a problem as long as the structure is not disturbed since it is primarily asbestos dust that is known to be carcinogenic.
The problem manifests itself primarily when a building is being renovated. And such renovations need not be major. For example, a building owner or contractor may be replacing or removing floor tiles.
When ceiling and/or floor tiles or the like are being removed, they frequently must be broken up into pieces which can create substantial dust. This is exacerbated by the fact that such renovations are normally done in a closed space whereby the dust would be breathed in by the workers.
While many older ceiling or floor tiles and other building materials contained asbestos, not all of them did. If the tiles or other building materials being ripped up do not contain asbestos, then the dust that may be produced can easily be controlled by the use of ventilation fans or the like. Under such circumstances, the dust simply becomes a nuisance. If, however, the building materials and, therefore, the dust contains asbestos, OSHA and other health laws require that the asbestos be removed utilizing very specific procedures. These include, inter alia, totally sealing the room or building being renovated and utilizing specified ventilation with appropriate filtering equipment. Such procedures can greatly add to the cost of a project.